To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Amelia Island event, 10 March 2018. When Porsche introduced its 911 to replace the vanguard 356, it represented a massive leap forward in performance and design. However, the 356’s discontinuation left a vacuum in the automaker’s lineup for an entry-level model that prioritized handling over outright performance. Enter the four-cylinder 912.

The 1969 912 presented here has passed through just two private owners and has covered a mere 24,561 miles since leaving the factory on 13 November 1968. Painted the same Light Ivory it wears today, it was also fitted with a rare five-speed manual transmission. The car was delivered new to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and has since lived its entire life in the dry, salt-free climes of the Southwest. Paired with its fastidious caretakers, the 912 has survived in remarkably original condition. Its paint is largely original and, aside from hints of patina accrued over nearly five decades, it presents today much as it did when new.

Original details abound. The one-year-only long-wheelbase 912 is presented with period Michelin tires mounted to date-coded wheels. Inside, it features factory audio wiring preparations, including the original Hirschmann antenna tag, but it has never been fitted with a radio head unit. The car does retain its very rare dealer-installed air conditioning. A Porsche Certificate of Authenticity and a copy of its Kardex are also included on file. The 912’s latest steward has added a mere handful of miles and had noted Denver Porsche specialist Steve Rowe perform an $8,500 engine rebuild in 2013.